Muggles Studies
by livesonwisteria
Summary: 1979, a position opens up and Dumbledore sends Petunia Dursley a letter that will change her life. What is her reaction?
1. Prologue

Albus Dumbledore was in quite a predicament, you see, his Muggle Studies teacher had vanished, rather abruptly during the NEWT examinations, and it was now well into July, and he simply couldn't run a school when one of the teachers was missing. He thought about, and thought about everybody he knew that had connections with the muggle world, deciding that even though they might suffer prejudice, a muggle or a squib would definitely be the best person for the job. After considering all the muggles and squibs he knew, which wasn't all that many, he realized that he knew the perfect person for the job, and penned a letter with a twinkle.

Dear Petunia Evans,

I am most sorry that I was not able to offer you a position as a student at my school, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which your sister Lily Evans, soon to be Potter, attended. Now, however, something has come up that I am sure you will be able to do, and I hope that you will want to. Although you were never able to come to Hogwarts as a student, as, students require magic, and you did not have any, for what I am proposing you will not need any. Hogwarts needs a muggle studies teacher. We teach muggle studies so that wizards do not become ignorant of the other society that exists alongside us. Our current teacher for this subject has just retired, and, I personally think, that, being a muggle, you would be perfect for the job, especially since you have a bit of experience in the wizarding world, and, a relative there. I hope that you will accept this offer, if you are interested, send a reply back with the owl this letter came with.

Thank you,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Head of the Wizengamot.


	2. Letters come aflying

Petunia Evans and Vernon Dursley liked to think of themselves as a nice, normal, respectable couple. To the outsider, they were, they seemed as if they were a happy couple. They would be getting married next week in a traditional wedding, but, what anybody else wouldn't know is how their incredible desire to be normal was fuelled by something not so normal… magic.

When they had first met, they kept all pretences of normalcy, but then, when their relationship started to get serious, they both confessed their link to magic, each as shocked as the other with their confessions. It turned out Vernon was a squib who had been disowned by his pureblooded family, and, that was the reason he loathed magic, he never wanted anything to do with the wizarding world, after being taken in by a lovely muggle couple. Petunia had in turn told him that she didn't like magic as it had taken her sister, Lily, away from her and also because it was a world that she desperately wanted to be part of, but couldn't. Both tried as hard as they could to be normal, incase anybody suspected their ties to magic, not that it was very likely. It wasn't the most loving of relationships, but there was at least some mutual respect, and friendship.

-&-

Petunia and Vernon sat at the table, polishing off two rather large full English breakfasts while reading the papers and generally complaining.

"Oh dear," murmured Vernon, sounding worried.

"Whatever's wrong?" asked Petunia, as an owl flew through the open window.

"That's what is wrong," said Vernon.

They both winced, as they knew that owls were a magical way of delivering mail, and this snowy owl had a letter tied to her leg.

Petunia silently reached up and untied it, as she had seen Lily do many times in the school holidays when she was younger, while Vernon stared at her apprehensively.

The letter was addressed to:-

Petunia Evans

The Kitchen

Downstairs

4 Privet Drive

Surrey

To be honest both Petunia and Vernon found it rather strange that the magic people who sent the letter knew where they were, but they just sat in silence, both shocked at the sudden contact from the magical world that the were never allowed to be in.

She scanned through the letter, her face expressionless, but it seemed like she was slightly pleased. Vernon was handed the letter.

"I want to do it," said Petunia forcefully.

"No," said Vernon in a haunted sort of voice, after reading the letter. "You can't do it, you can't go live in that world, I refuse."


	3. A Decision

_Previously, on Muggle Studies:-_

"_I want to do it," said Petunia forcefully._

"_No," said Vernon in a haunted sort of voice, after reading the letter. "You can't do it, you can't go live in that world, I refuse."_

-&-

"You don't understand Vernon, I've wanted to be a part of the wizarding world all my life, it's a great chance and I'm not just going to throw it away. I don't see what your problem is, you're soon to be my husband, they wouldn't object to you coming and living with me at that school. Maybe I can even start talking to Lily again," said Petunia with a frown, wondering why Vernon didn't see this wonderful opportunity for what it was. Besides, didn't he say that he was a squid in their few discussions about magic? From what she had gathered, surely that must mean he would want to discover the word he was supposed to be part of.

She had never said much on the topic of magic, even to Vernon or Lily who both had experience of it, obviously Lily a lot more than Vernon though. Pretending to hate magic was what she normally did, but in truth, she would have loved to have been a witch and be a part of the magical world with her sister, and had even wrote to Lily's headmaster asking if she could attend Hogwarts. Petunia had always thought that if they had both been witches, they would probably still be as close as they were before the letter came. That was the thing she really hated about magic, first of all when they sent that letter and she had to go away to school, spending the whole year nearly away from them and then when she had left school, she had moved far away, to a place called Godric's Hollow, not that it really mattered, they hadn't spoke in years.

Vernon seemed to be thinking about what she had just explained, but it didn't seem like he was all that happy about it. "No," he said in a firm voice. "Petunia, if you go there, I _will_ leave you. You will not go to that world and be a part of it."

Petunia gasped. Maybe this was the wake up call that she needed. She had only gotten engaged to Vernon because he seemed interested in her, and was then first man that came along. They weren't really all that compatible either. He expected her to do everything that he said, and she definitely wasn't that sort of person. She had never eben really liked him that much, let alone loved him. She had made her decision.

"Well," she said in a snooty tone. "That's fine with me, I'm going whether you like it or not. If you wish to come with me, please think about whether this is really the best thing for the both of use before you do."

With that, Petunia picked up her plate and dropped it into the sink and then headed upstairs to her bedroom, preparing to pen a letter replying to Dumbledore, confirming that she wished to take the job. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote a quick note:-

Professor Dumbledore,

Thank you very much for your job offer. I wish to accept it, and I will be at Hogwarts as soon as you want me to. Would it be possible for you to contact Lily and tell her of my new job?

Thanks,

Petunia Evans.


	4. Lemon Drops Overboard

Professor Dumbledore's twinkle returned, he popped a lemon drop in his mouth and wondered why it had been so remarkably easy t

Professor Dumbledore's twinkle returned, he popped a lemon drop in his mouth and wondered why it had been so remarkably easy to convince Petunia Evans to take the job as the Muggle Studies teacher. Just a letter had been all it had taken. He prided himself on knowing just about everything about his students and their lives, and he knew that Lily Evan's sister had been very anti-magic.

"Time certainly can change things," he thought. "She must have a change of hear, unless she didn't really hate magic."

Yes, that was it. Jealousy was often how children reacted, and he had of course had a _lot_ of experience with children, dealing with them year after year as headmaster, teacher and head of house.

He would have to write a reply to Petunia, he hadn't of course given her much information in the letter incase she didn't take the job, changing the wards and enchantments to accept Petunia would also be absolutely necessary if she was to work and live here. Lily was another person that would need to be contacted, she would definitely want to know if her sister was part of the magical world.

In fact, maybe a letter wouldn't be able to explain every thing that he needed to tell Petunia, he would have to meet with her face to face. Muggle transportation was something that in his earlier life, he had used on occasion, but now he only had a very vague idea of how it actually worked. It seemed as if he would have to use magical means to get in touch with Petunia, she had seemed fine with the owl, so he contemplated what to do – floo, apparition, broom, maybe he could even get the Hogwarts Express working for a day, and have it faster than the normal speed that it uses for the students. After remembering a rather unfortunate incident nearly ten years ago now when he had flooed into a friends house, only to discover that a slightly insane house elf had thought it a good idea to board up the fireplace. That had been a rather painful experience indeed. Floo was definitely out.

Grabbing his broom, he decided that it would be best to fly there. He wasn't professional standard, but he was still quite a good flyer, and had even been a chaser on his house team for a few years. His wand was stuffed in the zipped pocket of his blue star covered volumous robes before he mounted the Shooting Star, and flew through the open window of his office, knocking a bag of sherbet lemons from the windowsill to the ground. _Oh dear. _A quick levitation charm fixed that it, and he was off.


	5. Chapter 5

Flying had always been something that he enjoyed, and he found the five hour ride from Scotland to Surrey very relaxing

Flying had always been something that he enjoyed, and he found the five hour ride from Scotland to Surrey very relaxing. Soaring over the countryside and admiring the scenery turned out to be a much more effective way of organizing your thoughts than a pensive, and it was rather good for the soul, decided Albus. Apart from when he was sure he was too close to one of those muggle flying contraptions, everything had gone fine and he hoped that it would be the same once he arrived at Petunia Evans' house.

Touching down, he looked around checking for muggles in the park that he had landed in. Thankfully, it was abandoned, so he removed the disillusionment charm that he had placed on himself. It wouldn't exactly be very good if a muggle saw someone flying on a broom. Again, one of the muggles might be slightly suspicious if they saw him carrying around a broom, but a quick notice me not charm took care of that problem.

Petunia Dursley was not someone he especially knew very well. The only reason that he had even heard of her was because she was Lily Evan's sister, who had been head girl, prefect and one of the best students of her time. When Lily had been discovered to be a witch and sent a Hogwarts letter, her sister was obviously jealous and this normally happened in muggle families where only one child was found to be magical. It had been much more extreme with Petunia though, she had written him several letters practically begging to be allowed to attend Hogwarts, even though she had no magic. Later on, once Lily had been in Hogwarts for a few years, he had heard that she had completely cut her ties with Lily, and never spoke to her at all apart from the odd letter.

So, it didn't seem like she would be the most likely person that Albus would contact, but he was in need of a muggle studies teacher. The few he had had in his duration as headmaster hadn't really seemed up to scratch. A solution had occurred to him though. What better teacher of muggle studies than a muggle? It had to be a muggle who was already aware of their world though. Even if he was Albus Dumbledore, the ministry wouldn't look too kindly upon him breaking the statue of secrecy. Petunia was one of the first people who came to mind, so that's why he asked her, along with the fact that she had so wanted to go to Hogwarts but he couldn't let her, so he supposed this might make it up to her slightly.

It was a good thing that Lily had answered the owl he sent her asking for Petunia's address, otherwise he wouldn't have a clue where to go. Pulling a scrap of parchment out of one of the rather voluminous pockets in his robes, he checked the address and then started in the direction of 4 Privet Drive.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Fic recommendation for this chapter is _Somewhere I have never travelled_ by _Hatusu. _It is an utterly great Dramonie with mystery and suspense, and appearances by many different characters including Viktor and Fleur as well as a very original plot.

Meanwhile, over in Privet Drive, things weren't going quite so well. Tension had reached breaking point, and neither Vernon nor Petunia were finding it particularly easy to cope, and were snapping at each other whenever they were in the same room.

Petunia stormed up the stairs, walking right into Vernon on her way. Glaring at him, she was about to make a remark, when he beat her to it and said – "Do they allow that in the _wizarding _world?"

Petunia just rolled her eyes and walked on, she couldn't wait to be out of this house. That was another thing though, this was her house, it had originally been her parents and she and Lily had lived in it as children. Vernon was not getting it, no matter what, and she would have to confront him about this.

After a long soak in the bath where she had had plenty of time to think and reflect on current events, she rose from the bath and got dressed, intending to go and speak to Vernon immediately.

Taking a deep, calming breath she tried to let all of her anger out, it didn't work all that well, but then again she was very unhappy with Vernon and wanted him out of the house _today_. Descending the stairs, she tried with all she had to think positively. As soon as she walked into Vernon, that was pretty much out of the window, all of her anger came flooding back.

Slapping him would have been the easy, and enjoyable option, but she tried to channel Lily and be serenely calm. Her sister always had been totally calm, with a complete lack of a temper.

"Yes," she said, with a sweet, sarcastic smile, something which confused Vernon greatly.

"I want you to leave," grunted Vernon.

This remark was met with a full on slap across the face. Okay, she had thought right, it was _definitely_ enjoyable.

"Its my house," screamed Petunia. "Its been in my family for years. How dare you think you have the right to kick me out of my own house!"

Vernon's face turned a bright red colour. "I've paid the bills," he said rather half heartedly.

"Half of the bills, and I'm sure you used more than half of the electricity. If it bothers you that much, I'll give you your half of the bills back for the _year _you spent here rent free,"

"You won't even need the house anyway if your going to that freak place," snarled Vernon, in one last feeble attempt to win the argument.

"Argument over. You'll be out by tomorrow night," said Petunia in a tone that left no room for negotiation.

Vernon opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by an icy glare from Petunia.

"Oh, and you can sleep on the sofa tonight, I don't have the time to clean the guest bedroom," added Petunia.

Realizing he was defeated, Vernon made an angry noise and stormed away into the kitchen.

"_Well, that went slightly better than I expected it to," thought Petunia. _

With a grin, she started back up the stairs again, but paused when she heard the doorbell ring. Opening the door, she saw a tall eccentric looking man, with long white hair and a long white beard, dressed in ankle length starry deep blue robes. Eyes twinkling, they sought an invitation.

"Good evening, I am Professor Dumbledore," said the man.

"Oh," said Petunia, a look of realization dawning on her face. "Come in."


End file.
